The Band playing at the Winterland Ballroom on Thanksgiving Day, 1976.
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Location | 2101 Sutter Street, San Francisco, California |
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Coordinates | 37.785727, -122.435046 |
Owner | Bill Graham (1971-1978) |
Capacity | 5,400 (1971-1978) |
Construction | |
Opened | June 29th, 1928 |
Renovated | 1971 (Converted exclusively to music venue) |
Closed | December 31st, 1978 |
Demolished | 1985 |
Coordinates: 37°47′6.13″N 122°26′5.6″W / 37.7850361°N 122.434889°W
Winterland Ballroom (often referred to as Winterland Arena or simply Winterland) was an ice skating rink and music venue in San Francisco, California. Located at the corner of Post Street and Steiner Street, it was converted to exclusive use as a music venue in 1971 by concert promoter Bill Graham and became a common performance site for many famous rock artists. Graham later formed a merchandising company called Winterland which sold concert shirts, memorabilia, and official sports team merchandise.
Winterland was built in 1928 for the then astronomical cost of $1 million (equivalent to $13.95 million in 2016) and successfully remained operating through the turmoil of the Great Depression in spite of the unheard of costs at the time. Opened on June 29, 1928, it was originally known as the New Dreamland Auditorium. Sometime in the late 1930s, the name was changed to Winterland. It served as an ice skating rink which was convertible into a seated entertainment venue. Early acts/shows at Winterland included Shipstads and Johnson Ice Follies. In November 1944 it played host to an authorized production (but somewhat americanized) of the Folies Bergère. It also was host to opera, and boxing and tennis matches.